Advantages

Disadvantages

Only worth it for Who-nuts

As an avid Doctor Who nerd I am always on the look out for the latest gadgets, gizmos and merchandise to add to my expanding collection but I must admit I was not sure about this product at first. Did I really want to attach a flashing Tardis to my phone so all my work mates and friends could see? Would buying this make my girlfriend walk down the street in shame every time my phone went off? The nerd side of me, safe to say, got the better and I bought this for £5 and am pleased with it in general but its far from an essential buy!

Doctor Who has been revived in the past half decade by a new breed of actors, writers and producers who decided the classic Sci-fi series needed bringing back to a new generation. The core elements were retained and central to the show has always been the feature of this key ring, the Tardis. The Tardis is basically a old fashioned blue police box the Doctor uses to travel in space and time. Fans will not be disappointed with this model as it's an excellently accurate piece of kit recreating the tardis we see on our screens millimetre by millimetre. Its well crafted, well painted and looks and feels solid. Its scale is around 12cm by 6cm. It has to be within around 2 meters of your phone to work

The purpose of the product is to alert you when you receive a phone call. Obviously your phone does that job (wouldn't be much of a phone if it didn't!) so this is a purely novelty and decorative product. When your phone starts to get a signal for a message or call the Tardis, bleeps and flashes blue and makes the "whoooooosssshh whoooossshhh" sound familiar to fans of the show.

It does seem to flash at random times too which I am told is something to do with when the mobile sends outward signals but placing the settings to mute will change that as it will then, rather confusingly, only give incoming signals

Be warned though there are no batteries in the box and you will need three small batteries to use it.

All in all this product is nothing but a novelty, it serves no real purpose other than another gadget for Doctor Who fans and a way to decorate your phone.

Also on CIAO

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

~Whoop~ ~Whoop~...."My phone must be ringing"....Where's my phone?

INTRODUCTION------------------------To be quite honest I hated Dr Who at first. It wasn't really from my era and when it came out with Billie Piper I was not gripped. When I met my partner I realised that I had to tolerate the Daleks and Cybermen. Last Christmas I decided that present buying for him would be simple. I looked around shops such as Boots, Woolworths, Waterstones and Toys R Us and was very impressed to see the large range of collectables.

I saw a Tardis phone flasher in a few shops and was eager to get it. At the time I was deterred by the £9.99 price tag when on Ebay it was going for as little as 99p.

WHAT IS A PHONE FLASHER?------------------------------------------The Tardis phone flasher is about 10cm tall and 5cm wide and deep. The replica of the Police public call box is small enough to place on a shelf or close to your mobile phone. It has a small light on the top like the Tardis on the Dr Who Series.

WHAT DOES IT DO?-----------------------------When a signal from your mobile is picked up by the Tardis it will make a whoosing, whoop whoop sound like a real Tardis. The light on top will flash a blue colour. This usually happened before your phone rings so you can expect to receive a phone call. If you are like me where you turn your phone on silent during the day and forget to turn the volume up this is handy little toy to tell you that a phone call is coming through.

I have noticed a few times that the mobile phone sends out or receives signal waves and the Tardis will flash. Now that my partner has moved in I am often hearing the whoop whoop sound throughout the night despite no calls or messages.

I realised the other day that the Tardis has three settings off, mute and on. The mute button means that you are still alerted to any calls/messages but if the mobile sends out/receives signal waves the sound will not a) scare you or b) wake you up.

HOW IT WORKS------------------------I was disappointed that no batteries were included in the box. I had to pop out and buy 3 A13 (LR44 1.5v) batteries before it could be used. They are the button variety and are not cheap but have lasted over a year. I paid £2.99 for a pack of four batteries.

It is very easy to use and although it comes with instructions they are not needed. You just have to place the batteries, turn it on and it's ready to go. The phone flasher needs to be placed about 1-2 metres away from your mobile phone to work.

USES--------It's not only a product for a Dr Who fan as the item is quite decorative and is very useful. In fact this is quite useful if you work in an office where phones are not allowed and must be kept on silent.

OTHER INFORMATION--------------------------------The product is an official item from the Doctor Who merchandise collection. The box is red with yellow and white light rays. It looks very futuristic and easy to spot amongst some of the darker packaging. This gift is usually available at Christmas time although it readily available in most online shops. The product is not recommended for children under 8 years old.

OVERALL--------------Overall I think this is a great product for any fans of Dr Who. It is a reasonably priced gift and does give a few hours of entertainment. It is also a useful item to sit on a desk at work to alert you to any phone signals. You never know it could warn you of that dreaded phone call from the mother in law or the boss.